Every Last Secret

Cat and William are enjoying a dinner out, reminiscing. They’ve had two bottles of champagne and are laughing and having fun. Then, William reveals that he’s ready to start “thinking outside the box” in terms of starting a family; he’s willing to consider adoption. Cat is surprised because William was previously stubbornly against adopting. William explains his change of mindset: “I’m getting old. […] I want to see you as a mom. And Neena said that the adoption process can be as quick as a few months” (166). Realizing that William discussed Cat’s and William’s fertility struggles with Neena, Cat gets angry. Cat has still not told William about what the private investigator’s report revealed—that Neena had an abortion. For Cat, who struggles with fertility due to cysts, Neena’s abortion is an affront. When William reveals that Neena and Matt considered adoption, Cat reveals that Neena had an abortion eight years before. Cat thinks to herself, “She had killed her baby—she didn’t have the right to adopt another” (167). William is shocked by the news.

Cat further points out that since Matt has his own fertility issues, the logical conclusion is that Neena became pregnant via an affair. Cat insists that William fire Neena, saying that Neena isn’t healthy for their marriage.